The Western Lights Illuminated Arts Festival returns for its second year, transforming downtown Reno into a free, open-air art gallery from February 19-21. The family-friendly event will feature over 50 art and light installations and more than 70 live musical performances, alongside a new illuminated costume contest and VIP experiences.
The festival is co-produced by the City of Reno and the Western Lights Festival organization and is primarily funded by American Rescue Plan Act funds, highlighting the use of federal pandemic recovery money to support public arts programming. The event's scale, with significant road closures and numerous installations, demonstrates a substantial civic investment in making contemporary art accessible to the community and boosting downtown activity.